Medium published my new article “Why the European Union Needs a Good Marriage Counselor”

The wedding took place on May 9, 1950. French Foreign Minister Robert Schumann initiated a program for France and Germany to collaborate in the production of coal and steel, which were important resources for conducting war. Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands joined the “marriage contract,” and 6 years later the same countries signed the Rome Treaty, creating what we now know as “the European Union.”

On the face of it, the connection was strengthened with the declaration of a common currency and the establishment of the Eurozone in early 1999. And so, countries who had massacred each other in two world wars were now good friends.

The honeymoon was perfect. Countries with developing economies oriented towards growth, who were not very wealthy and established, enjoyed the confidence of the EU’s strong economies that agreed to lend them money at low interest rates. But when Greece began to stumble, the fear of a domino effect put the strong countries on high alert.

Wealthy Germany, who could have collapsed immediately, provided a cash flow along with the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and thus the European Union rescued Greece and the entire Eurozone from a terrible crisis. Second in line for rescue was Portugal, followed by Spain, Italy and Ireland — countries that were given the acronym “PIIGS.”

Thus, the first few years of the successful marriage were over. Each country began to be more concerned about its own interests, its own plans, its own calculation of whether being part of the EU family is profitable or not. In many ways, what used to be an asset, was now becoming a dangerous burden.

These days, the loudest alarm bell echoes in Britain. The United Kingdom’s departure from the EU began on March 2017. And today, right before pulling away, EU leaders are toughening their positions and planning to charge astronomical figures from Britain. Their animosity to anyone who reveals their loss is growing. The Brexit affair, however, reveals a more important truth: the EU is currently divided, broken and will not hold for long.

Today’s EU needs a good marriage counselor. Someone who will explain to the European leaders and their citizens that connection between economies starts from connection between people. When two people get married only due to economic convenience, it is a matter of time until they realize their marriage is bound to fail. The same holds true for Europe and this is what Europeans must recognize today.

The first step is to prevent the family members from finding themselves in a bad divorce process that takes a big financial and emotional toll on everyone, and may even lead to violence. Instead, Europeans should be reminded of the nature of the human ego that resides in them, as it does in every human being. Whether it’s at the individual level or the national level, when the human ego erupts between people it engenders division, hostility and hatred. And when that happens, no agreement will hold water.

The concept of the European Union was a good idea in theory, but in order to make it work in practice, it is mandatory to understand how the laws of nature operate on the human level.

As the wisdom of Kabbalah explains, the growth of the human ego is expected when people try to connect and form some bonds between them. It is a natural process that is happening in order for human beings to elevate their level of connection.

The EU should set up an emergency council to educate all citizens, and devise a continent-wide plan for forming balanced, considerate and positive human relations among all people, just like in a giant family with 500 million citizens. This will necessitate the active and continuous participation of every European and the involvement of political venues, media channels, universities, and workplaces.

If the Europeans learn to how to strengthen their connection above the growing ego, without erasing the uniqueness of each nation, they will be able to save their failing marriage.
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The Times of Israel published my new article “How to Redirect the Anti-Semitism That Surfaced in Yellow Vest Protests”

What started as a movement against fuel-tax increases has rapidly fueled France’s already flammable anti-Semitism. “Macron is a whore of the Jews—a puppet,” slogans on signs declared and protesters chant in the streets. Opposition to President Emmanuel Macron by activists dubbed the “Yellow Vests” have shaken the country over the last few weeks.

When things go wrong, who is to blame? Of course, the Jews. Although the social turbulence and uproar might have been halted for now by concessions offered by the French government, the protests brought to the surface deeply rooted anti-Semitic sentiments that spread through social media. Videos claiming that “the real enemy is the Jews,” circulate on the web, in videos that hold Jews “responsible for the lowering of taxes on the rich and for the whole financial situation.”

How is it possible that, in a protest against economic measures and the erosion of the standard of living in France, the Jews became a focal point for expressions of the hatred and anti-Semitism of the demonstrators? Irrespective of the riots, according to a recent European Union survey, approximately 95% of French Jews are “very concerned” about anti-Semitism in their country. The big question is: what causes demonstrators, social activists, and many French celebrities to turn French Jews into their punching bag?

The answer to this troubling question comes from our sages in the Talmud. As it is written: “No calamity comes to the world but for Israel.” (Talmud Bavli, Yevamot) “This means, as it is written in the above corrections, that they [the people of Israel] cause poverty, ruin, robbery, killing and destruction in the whole world” (Rav Yehuda Ashlag [Baal HaSulam], “Introduction to the Book of Zohar”).

The determining factor in the equation is the suffering a person or an entire nation feels. If the pain is tolerable, then there are ways to deal with it. However, if the pain increases beyond sustainable limits, the masses take to the streets to demonstrate. When the suffering goes beyond all limits of endurance, a burning sense of hatred begins to grow which becomes sharply focused and poisonously directed against Jews. In the eyes of the nations of the world, the Jewish people are perceived as greedy manipulators who deserve a gloomy fate.

In light of the current environment in France, there is a sense of uncertainty within the Jewish community about how best to respond. As has been announced, some synagogues and community centers will close temporarily as a security measure, and entire families are considering emigrating to Israel. None of this will solve the situation, however. It also doesn’t matter if the French protesters were to receive from Macron all the funds in the world, including vacations to the French Riviera, hatred will remain forever deep in their hearts. Perhaps for a while we could lower the flames of hatred, but it will only be a matter of time until the next conflagration bursts forth. Evidence for this can be seen in the fact that the wealthy of France do not lack means, and yet many of them are clearly Jew-haters.

Baal HaSulam clarifies the phenomenon: “It is a fact that Israel is hated by all the nations, whether for religious, racial, capitalist, communist, or for cosmopolitan reasons, etc. It is so because the hatred precedes all reasons, and each one merely resolves his loathing according to his own psychology.” (Writings of the Last Generation).

This hatred is actually an expression of a powerful force within nature, which we must come to understand. According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, two opposite forces operate our entire reality: the positive and the negative, the power of giving and power of receiving, the power of connection and power of separation. In human beings, these forces are egoism and altruism.

The negative force mentioned above constantly grows in us, and when it is allowed to break out without any inhibitions, it manifests as excessive self-love which separates human beings and arouses hatred for the other. The only force that can restrain and use this egoistic nature without canceling it is nature’s positive force—a force that can elevate us from all of our divisions and contradictions into one well-oiled system that operates harmoniously.

Where does this crucial positive force come from? Where can it be found? It can be found among and between Jews themselves.

“The Israeli nation,” wrote Baal HaSulam in the article “The Arvut,” “had been constructed as a sort of gateway by which the sparks of purity would shine upon the whole of the human race the world over… until they develop to such an extent that they can understand the pleasantness and tranquility that are found in the kernel of love of others.” The entire human race exists in the network containing all reality as a system in which all its parts depend on each other. When Jews draw closer to one another, they serve as a “conduit” through which a positive and unifying force flows into the world. This harmonizing force has the capacity to spread throughout the entire network. In a nutshell, this force operated by the Jews will become “a light unto nations.”

Conversely, when the world does not feel this unifying force, people sink into the divisive force. The negative power created between them is unconsciously sensed and associated with the Jews. Because the connecting power of Jews lies dormant and sealed, and they are instead self-absorbed, the nations of the world—and in the present case, the French nation—feel instinctively that the Jews are guilty of all evil, and they cry out that “the real enemy is the Jews.”

Why are we seeing this phenomenon now among the French people? It’s because they are highly developed. In other words, the negative force of self-interest operates in them more intensely, and this is what motivates them to go out to the streets demanding change, all the while with a hidden desire for fulfillment that this change should derive from the Jews. The Yellow Vest protests are but one wave from a whole tsunami of protests that could sweep the peoples of Europe and the rest of the world. From day to day we witness the intensification of the negative force within the network of nature that causes people to behave more egotistically and become more demanding about their future. If we let this negative power prevail, we will hear more frequent reports of extreme terror, such as the deadly attack at a market that happened not by chance in Strasbourg, the epicenter of the European Parliament.

Thus, just as the French Revolution of 1789 heralded a period of turmoil and change of power in France’s history, so today, the French might be destined to bring about a new social revolution of unity and love, turning all their energies and rage to force the Jews of France and elsewhere to unite. The positive force is imprinted within Jewish genetic memory, and they possess the time-tested method for connecting all humanity: the wisdom of Kabbalah. Therefore, even a small effort on the part of all Jewish people of the world to unite in brotherly love will initiate the positive force to flow and spread throughout the world, to calm all the winds of rage in the streets and carry a positive spirit of peace and brotherhood to all humanity.

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The largest portal Breaking Israel News published my new article “Ten Lost Tribes And Who Is A Jew?“:

Light penetrates the windows of a small brick hut and illuminates a group of African men dressed in white swaying. One shuts his eyes and shouts with a heavy Hebrew accent: “Oseh shalom!”

“Hallelujah!” the crowd responds.

He sings out again: “Oseh shalom!”

All of them together answer, “Hallelujah, making peace in its heights.”

As such, the Igbo people pray together with the sounds of longing in their voices for the Land of Israel.

The Igbo tribe lives in the Biafra region of South-Eastern Nigeria and is estimated to number some 20 million. Tens of thousands of these identify themselves as Jews for all intents and purposes. A significant number of the Igbo tribe are observant Jews, practice circumcision, read the Torah, wear yarmulkes and prayer shawls.

Throughout the generations, many indigenous tribes and ethnic groups from every continent have been identified as possible descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes who were exiled after the conquest of the Kingdom of Israel by Assyria in 722 BCE, and their fate remains unknown to this very day. Could the Igbo tribe and other groups be part of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel? How could we possibly determine which among these are Jews?

Can symbols, rituals, and customs definitively indicate that a person or tribe is Jewish? In order to trace Jewish roots, must historians and geneticists intervene, as well as authorities to deliberate on religious matters? The wisdom of Kabbalah views the answer to the question, “Who is a Jew?” from a deeper perspective that demands us to look back to the kingdom of ancient Babylon, to the cradle of humanity at the time, where Jewishness began.

About 3,800 years ago in Mesopotamia, which was a bountiful region located in today’s Iraq, humanity began to live side by side in brotherhood with a sense of shared destiny, like one great universal family. Without aspiring to great conquests, the pagan society of those days satisfied the small desires of its members for a peaceful life, shelter, and basic food. They established a thriving agricultural society that persisted undisturbed, as a single body.

Suddenly life changed in Babylon. The desire to receive pleasure, “egoism,” naturally began to grow and develop, demanding ever greater pleasures from life. Growing egos began to clash causing separation, urging each to view the other only in terms of their personal benefit, even if it came at another’s expense.

Troubled by the disintegration of society, a Babylonian priest named Abraham began to earnestly investigate why the Babylonians had stopped loving one another. In the process of his exploration, he discovered the natural system that connects all people under the management of a single enveloping force: love. He discovered that the root of human hatred lies in the ego’s development and its imbalance.

Abraham understood that in order to balance the negative power of egoism, it is necessary to awaken this positive force of love and connection inherent to nature. In other words, the common effort to build good relationships despite and atop egoistic rejection opens up a new spiritual space between people within which a sense of wholeness and harmony is found. Abraham’s brilliant discovery and the way to realize it was compiled as the wisdom of Kabbalah. Excited by his breakthrough, Abraham embarked on an extensive campaign to spread the wisdom among all the inhabitants of ancient Babylon.

As Rambam explained, tens of thousands came to the land of Israel from all the tribes and clans, representing all 70 nations of the world, and formed the foundation for the building of the Israeli nation. The rest of the ancient inhabitants of Babylon spread throughout the earth and developed into approximately 70 nations.

The Jewish people are not a people like other nation, founded on the common denominators of residential area, family relations, origin or color. The followers of Abraham were instead a conglomeration of different people whose one common denominator was a shared ideological basis. This special group would later be called “Israel,” which is derived from the phrase “Yashar-El” (Straight to God), i.e. a desire directed straight to the power that manages reality.

Since then and throughout history, anyone who joined Israel on the basis of the same unifying principle was warmly welcomed. French, Italian, African, Japanese—anyone in the world—was and could be a Jew. Kabbalah explains that the Jewish people is not a nation like the 70 nations of the world. Jewishness is an ideology, a person’s attitude toward others. Although Jews have lived and married among themselves as a relatively small group over the generations and have acquired a similar external form, when the Ten Lost Tribes are revealed, it will not be the genes that will bind us, but the ideology. The external form of the Lost Tribes will surely appear different from who we see today as Jews, but between all of them will be a spirit of mutual solidarity combined with the love of Zion.

The awakening and manifestation of the Ten Lost Tribes depends on the awakening of the Jews themselves. As the Jews become more and more connected, their unity will be projected throughout the network of connection that binds together all life and this will make the tribes emerge from their hiding places. At the same time, Jewish unity will build a kind of “womb,” an environment capable of absorbing the Ten Lost Tribes, to which they will be born.

As you read these lines, dear reader, and if you want to feel the single force that operates in creation, Bnei Baruch, our worldwide organization teaching the ancient wisdom of Kabbalah, warmly welcomes all those yearning to know the meaning of life through our connection as one human family.

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Thrive Global published my new article: “A Jewish Thought Network: The Most Powerful Weapon to Combat Anti-Semitism”

The power of thought is tremendously powerful and its scope of action lies in the network of our connection: we are as strong as we are united, and as weak as we are divided.

When the word “Jew” becomes an insult there is a reason to worry. That is the reality a school teacher experiences in today’s Europe, as she needs to hide her religion out of fear for her safety. A recent poll conducted by CNN confirmed that hatred against Jews in Europe has never disappeared. It has just transformed itself into a more evident menace. It is in our hands, or more precisely, in the power of our thoughts as Jewish people to change this situation, because thoughts have transformational powers.

The CNN survey revealed that one-in-five Europeans justify anti-Semitism. However, these are only the ones who admit to it. The problem is not only on Europe’s soil. It’s global. At a recent summit to combat anti-Semitism, European Jewish Congress president Dr. Moshe Kantor mentioned that “Europe doesn’t have a monopoly on anti-Semitism anymore. No Jewish community anywhere in the world, however strong and well-organized, is now immune from Jew hatred.”

Exceptional situations prompt the proposal of extraordinary measures. At the conference held in Vienna, a “Catalogue of Policies to Combat Anti-Semitism” was drafted with the help of academics from Vienna, Tel Aviv and New York. One new approach suggested a call for new editions of the Bible and Quran to carry warning messages to highlight “anti-Semitic passages” within the holy texts.

Are such texts really a source of incitement against Jews? Would such markings really serve to “combat anti-Semitism”? And more importantly, what power do we have as Jews to eradicate the hostility against us?

Religious Anti-Semitism?

Researchers connect anti-Semitism to sections in the Bible about Jews being responsible for Christ’s crucifixion and to sections in the Quran that fanatic jihadists use to justify their crusade against the Jews and Western values. Back in April 2018, a group of 300 French intellectuals and politicians signed a manifesto to Islamic leaders in France asking that “verses of the Quran calling for the killing and punishment of Jews, Christians and unbelievers be rendered obsolete by theological authorities,” to avoid what they consider as incitement to violence.

Yet, after years of anti-hatred plans and meetings to discuss the frightening times, do we see any change? Indeed, something has changed, but not in a positive direction. Anti-Semitism is relentlessly on the rise worldwide and the future looks increasingly dark.

Since none of the proposed solutions have worked so far, maybe it is time for a new approach? We Jews need to look no further than our own heritage to discover the infallible weapon, a force sufficient to eliminate anti-Semitism once and for all. The wisdom of Kabbalah claims that with a shift in our collective consciousness, we can create a force field powerful enough to erase anti-Semitic manifestations from earth.

Our inner state of division or unity creates our outer reality and not vice versa. By changing our intention to unite as one, we harmonize with the force of creation, and reality is affected by the energy we radiate. How does it work? In order to understand how this defensive shield is built we need to explore the development of humanity’s defense systems.

The Power of Thought

The evolution of defense systems up to the atomic bomb, demonstrates that the stronger a weapon is, the more hidden it is to the human eye, and the heavier are its consequences. Cyberspace, for instance, could be the modern-day battlefield for potential world war if the imaginary “red button” falls into the wrong hands.

Taking this trend one step further, the most powerful and precise weapon being revealed today is the power of thought, although similarly, we are unaware of its magnitude and dimension because of its invisibility. The scientific community claims that we are connected at the human level in a field that is activated through our collective consciousness or thoughts. This field is similar to the force of gravity, electricity, or the electromagnetic field in that its exact operation is hidden from the human senses.

Kabbalah explains that such a unifying force is a law of nature—a network of forces that bind us together—not yet apparent to us, but it influences every aspect of our reality more than any other force. The power of thought is tremendously powerful and its scope of action lies in the network of our connection: we are as strong as we are united, and as weak as we are divided. We are the ones who constantly operate this network, we just need to become aware of it and discover how to consciously make it work for our collective benefit.

The power currently controlling this network is a negative, divisive force of rejection and hatred activated by our egoistic nature. It strikes back at us as waves of bigotry and animosity from the nations of the world. Unconsciously, the nations of the world feel that Jews hold the keys that activate this network for positive change, urging us to recognize our mission.

They are correct.

As stated in The Book of Zohar: “Just as the organs of the body cannot exist for one moment without the heart, so all nations cannot exist in the world without Israel.” So how can we effectively make a meaningful impact on today’s reality? This can be easily accomplished through effective use of the most widespread net encompassing humanity: cyberspace.

First, Jews must be an example of cohesion, understanding and mutual solidarity above differences, which would turn us into an enlightening force for the rest of the world. As expressed by Rav Kook, “The genuine movement of the Israeli soul at its grandest is expressed only by its sacred, eternal force, which flows within its spirit. It is that which has made it, is making it, and will make it still a nation that stands as a light unto nations.” (Letters of the RAAIAH, 3)

Our thoughts drawing us toward unity and softening critical attitudes toward one another have the power to evoke a positive force within the network of communication between us—a force capable of gradually neutralizing hatred and bringing about balance. This is the power capable of protecting us and leading us toward a good future.

As every path starts with a first step, every little thought from each of us toward positive human connection will increase exponentially and cause great changes in our reality because the power of thought is the most powerful weapon.

“Do not be surprised that one person’s actions bring elevation or decline to the whole world, for it is an unbending law that the general and the particular are as identical as two peas in a pod… Evidently, the value of an act of a part elevates or declines the entire whole.”

– Kabbalist Rav Yehuda Ashlag, Introduction to the Book of Zohar, item 68.

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Thrive Global published my new article: “What Is The Authentic Source Of Happiness?”

Kabbalah is a method that teaches how to create a positively connected society of happy individuals, balanced with nature.

Everyone wants to be happy. There are myriad interpretations of what happiness is, how to be happy, and what the source of happiness is, and certainly, if we could identify an authentic source of happiness, then we could be confident in a goal to aspire toward.

In this examination on an authentic source of happiness, we will look into:

• whether there is such a thing as an authentic source of happiness,
• whether happiness is subjective and relative to each person, or whether there can be a source of happiness common to all,
• the roles society and its values play on our happiness,
• what stands in the way of being happy all the time,
• the role human nature plays on our happiness,
• defining an authentic source of happiness and the kind of transformation needed to experience it.

Is there such a thing as an authentic source of happiness?

Is happiness subjective and relative to every person, or can there be a source of happiness common to all?

In order to examine these questions, it is important to view ourselves as a social species, viewing our lives in connection with others, and that the quality of our connections influences our perspectives and sensations of happiness.

The fact that we’re a social species differentiates us from animals. We are molded and affected by our surroundings at every moment of our lives. Our birthplace, where we’re raised, our families, schools, teachers, friends, work colleagues, as well as our culture and the media we absorb and engage with, all influence our definitions of what it means to be happy, how we can achieve happiness and what we do in order to achieve it.

Many happiness studies have already concluded that a positively connected and supportive society provides the basis for its members’ happiness. A social foundation where everyone tends to each other—receiving as much as each individual needs and working for everyone’s benefit—is an optimal setup for each person’s happiness.

What interferes with our happiness?

The problem is that where there is society, there are social desires, i.e. desires for money, honor, respect, fame, control, power and knowledge. Our individual pursuits to fulfill these desires at others’ expense interferes with our happiness. For instance, if a person wants to become rich, powerful or famous, he must continually struggle to out-compete others, building his pursuit of such goals by disturbing or ruining the wealth, power or fame of others.

Moreover, human nature, which is a desire to enjoy, works such that when we enjoy something, our desire for that enjoyment extinguishes upon its reception, and a new desire surfaces in its place. This modus operandi of human nature makes us feel constantly unsatisfied and wanting.

This formula we live by—the pursuit of happiness at others’ expense coupled with the constant dissatisfaction embedded in human nature—is the antithesis to happiness. It can then be concluded that if our sources of happiness remain as individual quests for pleasure at others’ expense, we will never experience a lasting, blossoming form of happiness. We will be plagued by our desires becoming emptied all the time, and will endure increasing dissatisfaction until we will ultimately despair from trying to make our way in society with competitive, individualistic motives.

It is a must for every nation to be strongly united within, so all the individuals within it are attached to one another by instinctive love. Moreover, each individual should feel that the happiness of the nation is one’s own happiness, and the nation’s decadence is one’s own decadence… It means that the people of that nation, who sense that harmony, are the ones who make the nation, and the measure of happiness of the nation and sustainability are measured by their quality.

– Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag, The Nation.

Public opinion today venerates rivalry and individual achievement. In other words, if you trample upon your competition in order to succeed as an individual, you’re viewed with respect. It is an interwoven symptom of the individualistic-competitive values we are raised with, from our schools and universities, through the films, music, media, TV shows and Internet discussions we regularly engage with. Therefore, if we seek an authentic source of happiness, we need to first surmise that nothing will change if our egoistic human nature continues absorbing social influences that feed into its selfish direction at others’ expense.

Even if we define an authentic source of happiness that can satisfy everyone—a limitless form of pleasure that fills us when we engage in giving to and positively connecting with others—we still won’t experience lasting happinessif society as a whole fails to prioritize values of giving, kindness, altruism and positive connection over present-day competitive-individualistic values.

What will increase awareness of the authentic source of happiness?

The rise in misfortunes and problems in human society will play their role to raise awareness of why we fail to achieve an authentic and lasting form of happiness. In the wisdom of Kabbalah, this state is called “recognition of evil.” It means that problems and crises accumulate until we see that as much as we want to live happy and harmonious lives, we don’t, and moreover, the situation worsens. Eventually, we will realize that the solution is in a fundamental shift of our values—from competitive-individualistic-egoistic values to cooperative-connected-altruistic ones—and that the educational institutions and media permeating values into our lives need to accept major responsibility in such a transformation.

The very appearance of happiness science and positive psychology in an age where depression has risen to become the world’s most prominent disease shows a clear example of how, as our sorrows worsen, we seek to counter them with an antidote.

It is this same era that the authors of The Book of Zohar, as well as the most renowned Kabbalist of the 20th Century, Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam) stated that the authentic wisdom of Kabbalah would become revealed and available to all, as a method to guide society to the kinds of positive connections that can make everyone happy.

Kabbalah is a method that teaches how to create a positively connected society of happy individuals, balanced with nature. It does this by guiding its participants through a process of experimentation in connecting with others in order to attract a force of connection dwelling in nature, which has the power to change us to make us more considerate of each other. Thus, a person will learn to aspire not only to fulfill his or her own happiness, but that of others as well. A harmonious human society will then be built to ensure the happiness of every individual.

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My article “The UN Partition Plan and the Rebirth of Israel: Where Are We Now?” published in The Times of Israel.

71 years ago, masses of Jews in Israel and the Diaspora gathered around radio transistors, fascinated by the most dramatic vote in Israel’s history. After long nerve-racking hours, in November 29, 1947, an American announcer’s concluding statement sliced ​​through the tense silence: “33 in favor, 13 against… The proposal is accepted.” The establishment of the State of Israel was declared.

If you would ask the previous generation of Jews where they were on November 29, 1947, one would answer with a memory of the burst of joy, dances and hugs, and another would cry, recalling their Holocaust story of survival. They would reminisce how cars honked, horns blew and cheers rose in the streets, and how the dream of a Jewish state took shape before their very eyes.

On the night of the announcement, we felt together, united as one. Since then, however, we have gone through 71 years of regularly surfacing wars and internal conflicts. We certainly have achievements to be proud of: a flag and an anthem, an army, an air force, and a flourishing hi-tech industry. Yet, have we become what we dreamt of, i.e. one people, whole, united, with an independent and free country? Also, what if there would be a vote at the UN today about whether or not the State of Israel should exist? Would anyone be willing to sign a similar resolution today?

There is an abyss between the dreams of the past and the reality of the present. We lost something significant along the way. Although we returned to the Land of the Patriarchs after 2,000 years of exile, and tried to renovate a Hebrew culture within its borders, our efforts have been insufficient. After 71 years, we have failed to find the bond among Israeli society and Jews worldwide that would make its initial moment of joy complete and lasting. Moreover, voices of resistance to the existence of the State of Israel get louder from one year to the next, claiming that the Jewish state has completely lost its right to exist and even call for its boycott.

However, Kabbalists think otherwise.

With all due respect to the United Nations, the justification for the existence of the Jewish state was created when our patriarch Abraham gathered a number of students from the Babylonians who had a desire to discover life’s source. Together, they discovered the method to transcend to a higher level of existence, which was characterized by peaceful bonds of love, unity and mutual responsibility above each individual’s inborn differences, which balanced this group with nature. That is, as nature operates according to laws of interconnection and interdependence, Abraham’s method revealed how people could rise above their differences, connecting on the same level of interconnection and interdependence as nature itself. Therefore, the realization of Abraham’s method and its transmission to humanity is the mandate we received from nature, both for our existence as a nation and for the people of Israel.

The long years of exile have alienated us from living according to Abraham’s method, and we have existed as any other nation. However, toward the end of the 19th century, a remarkable change took place. The Jewish people began to feel a strong need to return to their land and establish an independent state. With perfect timing, Abraham’s method—the wisdom of Kabbalah—also began to be rediscovered to all. In that context, Rav Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam) and Rav Kook, the great Kabbalists of the 20th century, determined that our independence as a Jewish State depends directly on the attainment of our independence from our corporeal life of differences and divisions. “As long as we do not raise our goal above the corporeal life, we will have no corporeal revival because the spiritual and the corporeal in us cannot dwell in one basket, for we are the children of the idea” (Rav Yehuda Ashlag, “Exile and Redemption“).

In other words, it is impossible to build an Israeli society based on values ​​and principles stemming from our inborn, corporeal and egoistic natures, even though it seems as if we succeed in other countries. We returned to the Land of Israel for the sole purpose of building a society bonded by threads of love, unity and mutual responsibility above our inborn egoistic traits, and then to pass this ability to unite above differences to humanity, who indeed feels the increasing need for such unity in our times. This is the only justification for our existence in this land.

71 years after the most dramatic vote in Israel’s history is a time when anti-Semitism lifts its ugly head. At present, unfortunately, our main unifying element is our common fear of our enemies. Instead of unifying out of our characteristic positive, creative and innovative thrust to implement the method of unity that our ancestors once realized, we instead experience a negative, passive and transient form of unity only at times of anti-Semitic threats or attacks.

However, we needn’t despair. We should use this broken reality as an epic opportunity to rebuild our shared life as a nation on solid foundations sustained by what originally united us. If we want to celebrate like we did 71 years ago, we can do so by realizing our unique potential to unite above our differences. Until we do, anti-Semitism will continue intensifying as the world waits for us to unite and invite everyone into an expanding circle of unity and love, in balance with nature.
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Thrive Global published my new article: “Hanukkah: Setting Aside One Week For Life Transformation”

The word “Hanukkah,” from Hebrew “Hanu-Koh,” or “stop here,” represents the first stage of spiritual development, a process of correcting the desire to enjoy for oneself and inverting it into a desire to bestowal unto others, a state that liberates us from darkness.

Hanukkah is not just another week in the Jewish calendar. It can be used as a respite dedicated to personal enlightenment, one week set aside for life transformation. The holiday of Hanukkah signifies the victory of light over darkness, unity over division. Indeed, such a victory requires no less than a miracle, but it is one within grasp. We need only know how to light the candle and make it happen.

Through our connection, we strike a match against the darkness and ignite the light in our lives. This is the brilliance of Hanukkah, the holiday of light. As with a match, a little friction transforms into a gleaming flame.

Of all the holidays, Hanukkah and Purim are considered special for many reasons. First, the Torah makes no mention of them. Second, after the full completion of humanity’s corrections, it is said that all the holidays will be canceled except for these two. According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, Hanukkah and Purim are of utmost importance because both are directly connected to the rebuilding of the Temple, which symbolizes the place where Creator and creation bond. The Temple’s ruin represents a breaking of this bond between us. Rebuilding that bond means attaining all the abundance and goodness in our existence. This is the Kabbalists’ quest.

Like a thirsty man trying to draw water with a leaky bucket, who must first fix the vessel before he can fill it and drink, one who feels detached from spirituality must first mend the bond with the Creator before being able to receive the offered illumination.

In order to live a purposeful life, we need to ascend through a cycle of spiritual development called “a year.” In each upward cycle, we face the same desires met previously, but on ever-higher degrees each time. While we do so, we encounter recurrent milestones of inner changes, discernments and situations aimed at rising to the next spiritual degree, the correction of the soul. The Kabbalists call these degrees “holidays” and “Sabbaths.”

The holidays and Sabbath in our world were determined by Kabbalists to provide a framework of behaviors in accordance with our work in the inner spiritual world. That is the reason we celebrate the holidays each year and the Sabbath each week.

Stopover on an Enlightened Path

The word Hanukkah, from Hebrew “Hanu-Koh,” or “stop here,” represents the first stage of spiritual development, a process of correcting the desire to enjoy for oneself and inverting it into a desire to bestowal unto others, a state that liberates us from darkness. Darkness manifests as separation, conflicts, arguments, ruthless competitiveness, and the desire to exploit and dominate others. Our inner struggle to overcome our egoistic nature is what we call “the War of the Maccabees against the Greeks,” i.e. “Greeks” symbolizing characteristics that yearn for control over us.

The victory over the Greeks is the foundation of any person’s path on the spiritual ladder. This triumph lets us perform corrections that will lead to the final correction—Purim—when we attain the endless bounty that the Creator prepared for all.

When we can rejoice in each other’s successes, share our concerns, in mutual connection, we will realize what nature tries to teach us: that we belong to one single body. If we take just the tiniest step in this direction, we will see miracles on the way. We will see how a small lamp, the smallest jar of oil, will kindle a strong and warm fire that illuminates everyone’s life.

What Is the Miracle of Hanukkah?

Overcoming our ego—the desire to enjoy at others’ expense—requires rising above our nature, and this is considered a miracle. Instinctively, our ego governs our existence, even though the outcome causes a boomerang effect that brings us suffering. How then does this miracle happen? Every time we connect with each other, the force that is higher than all other forces, obstacles and conditions, is drawn into action and the miracles manifest before our eyes.

Although a miracle is a supernatural phenomenon, we are able to make it happen whenever we choose closer connection above all kinds of resistance. Today, if we wish to rise above our ego and try to connect positively with others, a completely new upper force will be revealed within us, and with its help, we will be able to bring peace, love and unity to the world.

Let us spin ourselves together around this exalted goal to ignite the spirit of unity, enlighten our lives, and radiate joy and fulfillment to everyone.

Happy Hanukkah!

— Published on December 3, 2018

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My new article “A Jewish Thought Network: The Most Powerful Weapon to Combat Anti-Semitism” was published recently in The Times of Israel.

When the word “Jew” becomes an insult there is a reason to worry. That is the reality a school teacher experiences in today’s Europe, as she needs to hide her religion out of fear for her safety. A recent poll conducted by CNN confirmed that hatred against Jews in Europe has never disappeared. It has just transformed itself into a more evident menace. It is in our hands, or more precisely, in the power of our thoughts as Jewish people to change this situation, because thoughts have transformational powers.

The CNN survey revealed that one-in-five Europeans justify anti-Semitism. However, these are only the ones who admit to it. The problem is not only on Europe’s soil. It’s global. At a recent summit to combat anti-Semitism, European Jewish Congress president Dr. Moshe Kantor mentioned that “Europe doesn’t have a monopoly on anti-Semitism anymore. No Jewish community anywhere in the world, however strong and well-organized, is now immune from Jew hatred.”

Exceptional situations prompt the proposal of extraordinary measures. At the conference held in Vienna, a “Catalogue of Policies to Combat Anti-Semitism” was drafted with the help of academics from Vienna, Tel Aviv and New York. One new approach suggested a call for new editions of the Bible and Quran to carry warning messages to highlight “anti-Semitic passages” within the holy texts.

Are such texts really a source of incitement against Jews? Would such markings really serve to “combat anti-Semitism”? And more importantly, what power do we have as Jews to eradicate the hostility against us?

Religious Anti-Semitism?

Researchers connect anti-Semitism to sections in the Bible about Jews being responsible for Christ’s crucifixion and to sections in the Quran that fanatic jihadists use to justify their crusade against the Jews and Western values. Back in April 2018, a group of 300 French intellectuals and politicians signed a manifesto to Islamic leaders in France asking that “verses of the Quran calling for the killing and punishment of Jews, Christians and unbelievers be rendered obsolete by theological authorities,” to avoid what they consider as incitement to violence.

Yet, after years of anti-hatred plans and meetings to discuss the frightening times, do we see any change? Indeed, something has changed, but not in a positive direction. Anti-Semitism is relentlessly on the rise worldwide and the future looks increasingly dark.

Since none of the proposed solutions have worked so far, maybe it is time for a new approach? We Jews need to look no further than our own heritage to discover the infallible weapon, a force sufficient to eliminate anti-Semitism once and for all. The wisdom of Kabbalah claims that with a shift in our collective consciousness, we can create a force field powerful enough to erase anti-Semitic manifestations from earth.

Our inner state of division or unity creates our outer reality and not vice versa. By changing our intention to unite as one, we harmonize with the force of creation, and reality is affected by the energy we radiate. How does it work? In order to understand how this defensive shield is built we need to explore the development of humanity’s defense systems.

The Power of Thought

The evolution of defense systems up to the atomic bomb, demonstrates that the stronger a weapon is, the more hidden it is to the human eye, and the heavier are its consequences. Cyberspace, for instance, could be the modern-day battlefield for potential world war if the imaginary “red button” falls into the wrong hands.

Taking this trend one step further, the most powerful and precise weapon being revealed today is the power of thought, although similarly, we are unaware of its magnitude and dimension because of its invisibility. The scientific community claims that we are connected at the human level in a field that is activated through our collective consciousness or thoughts. This field is similar to the force of gravity, electricity, or the electromagnetic field in that its exact operation is hidden from the human senses.

Kabbalah explains that such a unifying force is a law of nature—a network of forces that bind us together—not yet apparent to us, but it influences every aspect of our reality more than any other force. The power of thought is tremendously powerful and its scope of action lies in the network of our connection: we are as strong as we are united, and as weak as we are divided. We are the ones who constantly operate this network, we just need to become aware of it and discover how to consciously make it work for our collective benefit.

The power currently controlling this network is a negative, divisive force of rejection and hatred activated by our egoistic nature. It strikes back at us as waves of bigotry and animosity from the nations of the world. Unconsciously, the nations of the world feel that Jews hold the keys that activate this network for positive change, urging us to recognize our mission.

They are correct.

As stated in The Book of Zohar: “Just as the organs of the body cannot exist for one moment without the heart, so all nations cannot exist in the world without Israel.” So how can we effectively make a meaningful impact on today’s reality? This can be easily accomplished through effective use of the most widespread net encompassing humanity: cyberspace.

First, Jews must be an example of cohesion, understanding and mutual solidarity above differences, which would turn us into an enlightening force for the rest of the world. As expressed by Rav Kook, “The genuine movement of the Israeli soul at its grandest is expressed only by its sacred, eternal force, which flows within its spirit. It is that which has made it, is making it, and will make it still a nation that stands as a light unto nations.” (Letters of the RAAIAH, 3)

Our thoughts drawing us toward unity and softening critical attitudes toward one another have the power to evoke a positive force within the network of communication between us—a force capable of gradually neutralizing hatred and bringing about balance. This is the power capable of protecting us and leading us toward a good future.

As every path starts with a first step, every little thought from each of us toward positive human connection will increase exponentially and cause great changes in our reality because the power of thought is the most powerful weapon.

“Do not be surprised that one person’s actions bring elevation or decline to the whole world, for it is an unbending law that the general and the particular are as identical as two peas in a pod… Evidently, the value of an act of a part elevates or declines the entire whole.

– Kabbalist Rav Yehuda Ashlag, Introduction to the Book of Zohar, item 68.

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Medium published my new article “Brexit may never happen.”

The time has come for a different kind of connection that is not based on egoism, which the current system is built on.

Thanks to the recent Brussels summit, there is now an agreement on the table for the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union, but I doubt that it will actually happen. It took 20 years to connect all these countries into a single entity, and I believe it will take at least another 20 to disassemble it.

Europe is beginning to disintegrate. The days are gone when Europe used to think about unification and was attracted to the idea of unification. All the EU countries wanted to be part of the new entity, and paid dearly for the loss of their independence.

Today, nationalistic trends are once again on the rise. For instance, the EU’s two main centers, Germany and France, are going through very difficult times and it’s only the beginning. They are afraid of losing their identity and stability. Compared to countries such as China, India, and Asia in general, they are no longer the center of the world. If until recently they were the cultural and educational centers of the world, they have recently filled themselves with migrants and are busy dealing with them, and they can no longer show the world that they are truly a cultural center.

It is a complicated situation. If we lose Europe’s culture and education, we then have no idea what direction the world will take. However, we still fail to fully grasp how the world loses its stability due to losing Europe as the foundation of Western culture and human education. It has developed over the last 2,000 years upon the backdrop of Rome, Greece, Judaism and Christianity. Essentially, we’re failing to take heed of the fact that humanity’s central elements are being replaced, and as a result, Western society and culture is on the decline.

Humanity has an inner, transcendental foundation. It is not so apparent, but this inner foundation is part of our DNA. Just as we inherit our parents’ genes, we inherited culture, education, science and access to the European way of life. America, South America, Asia, India, China and all colonialist development emerged from such an approach, and we fail to envision a world that loses the European element. It would be a completely different world to the one we now know, one that would be forever changed.

Europe’s influence on the world has always been extremely important. It went hand-in-hand with America’s economic power and influenced India and China. Now that these relations are fading, it is difficult to say what the future holds.

I cannot even find the words to convey how strongly I feel about this subject. Europe as the world’s cultural and educational infrastructure was in the making for 2,000 years. Even the structure of our governments come from the European approach. All these things are now losing their foundation.

Just as divorce is a difficult process, it will now be extremely difficult for England to extricate itself. The time has come for a different kind of connection that is not based on egoism, which the current system is built on. The end of the European Union actually marks the end of the world that has reigned for thousands of years, clearly demonstrating that we are not heading in a sustainable direction. The egoistic foundation does not let us connect in a positive way, and it is leading us from one disaster to the next.

Europe’s only hope at this point is to embark on a new path, by implementing a new form of education, one that emphasizes how to connect, collaborate and cooperate above the egoistic foundation. If we fail to connect above our egoistic divisions, then we will simply sit back and let the egoistic forces wipe out everything positive about Europe. There will then be no turning back to how things were.

The approaching economic crisis will accelerate this process and truly shake Europe. As soon as economic stability shatters, and people don’t have food to eat, then society’s flaws will become clearly visible. On one hand, we have an abundance of surplus merchandise and food, and on the other hand, no one wants to give anyone anything. What is the lesson to be learned from this unsuccessful union? It is that we are transitioning to a new world.

What was the European Union really based on? Why did all these countries decide to connect despite the wars and deep hatred? It is because they were afraid. France was afraid of Germany. Germany was afraid of all the others that were pressuring them. They wanted to unite for egoistic reasons and this is why it has failed so spectacularly. The Brexit affair might drag on and on, but one thing is for sure, Europe will never be the same again.

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The largest portal Newsmax published my new article “Hanukkah Universally Illuminates Our Lives”

Hanukkah is not just another week in the Jewish calendar. It can be used as a respite dedicated to personal enlightenment, one week set aside for life transformation. The holiday of Hanukkah signifies the victory of light over darkness, unity over division. Indeed, such a victory requires no less than a miracle, but it is one within grasp. We need only know how to light the candle and make it happen.

Through our connection, we strike a match against the darkness and ignite the light in our lives. This is the brilliance of Hanukkah, the holiday of light. As with a match, a little friction transforms into a gleaming flame.

Of all the holidays, Hanukkah and Purim are considered special for many reasons. First, the Torah makes no mention of them. Second, after the full completion of humanity’s corrections, it is said that all the holidays will be canceled except for these two. According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, Hanukkah and Purim are of utmost importance because both are directly connected to the rebuilding of the Temple, which symbolizes the place where Creator and creation bond.

The Temple’s ruin represents a breaking of this bond between us. Rebuilding that bond means attaining all the abundance and goodness in our existence. This is the Kabbalists’ quest.

Like a thirsty man trying to draw water with a leaky bucket, who must first fix the vessel before he can fill it and drink, one who feels detached from spirituality must first mend the bond with the Creator before being able to receive the offered illumination.

In order to live a purposeful life, we need to ascend through a cycle of spiritual development called “a year.” In each upward cycle, we face the same desires met previously, but on ever-higher degrees each time. While we do so, we encounter recurrent milestones of inner changes, discernments and situations aimed at rising to the next spiritual degree, the correction of the soul. The Kabbalists call these degrees “holidays” and “Sabbaths.”

The holidays and Sabbath in our world were determined by Kabbalists to provide a framework of behaviors in accordance with our work in the inner spiritual world. That is the reason we celebrate the holidays each year and the Sabbath each week.

Stopover on an Enlightened Path

The word Hanukkah, from Hebrew “Hanu-Koh,” or “stop here,” represents the first stage of spiritual development, a process of correcting the desire to enjoy for oneself and inverting it into a desire to bestowal unto others, a state that liberates us from darkness. Darkness manifests as separation, conflicts, arguments, ruthless competitiveness, and the desire to exploit and dominate others.

Our inner struggle to overcome our egoistic nature is what we call “The War of the Maccabees against the Greeks,” i.e. “Greeks” symbolizing characteristics that yearn for control over us.

The victory over the Greeks is the foundation of any person’s path on the spiritual ladder. This triumph lets us perform corrections that will lead to the final correction—Purim—when we attain the endless bounty that the Creator prepared for all.

When we can rejoice in each other’s successes, share our concerns, in mutual connection, we will realize what nature tries to teach us: that we belong to one single body. If we take just the tiniest step in this direction, we will see miracles on the way. We will see how a small lamp, the smallest jar of oil, will kindle a strong and warm fire that illuminates everyone’s life.

What Is the Miracle of Hanukkah?

Overcoming our ego — the desire to enjoy at others’ expense—requires rising above our nature, and this is considered a miracle. Instinctively, our ego governs our existence, even though the outcome causes a boomerang effect that brings us suffering. How then does this miracle happen? Every time we connect with each other, the force that is higher than all other forces, obstacles and conditions, is drawn into action and the miracles manifest before our eyes.

Although a miracle is a supernatural phenomenon, we are able to make it happen whenever we choose closer connection above all kinds of resistance. Today, if we wish to rise above our ego and try to connect positively with others, a completely new upper force will be revealed within us, and with its help, we will be able to bring peace, love and unity to the world.

Let us spin ourselves together around this exalted goal to ignite the spirit of unity, enlighten our lives, and radiate joy and fulfillment to everyone.

Happy Hanukkah!

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